Method of and apparatus for assembling articles



May 21, 1929. Hjc. STEARNS METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 9, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet May 21, 1929. H. c. STEARNS Y METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES Patented May 21, 1929.

UMTED stars mares PATENT OFFICE- HARRY GABPENTER STEARNS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN -ELEOTRIG COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEVI YORK.

METHOD GE AND APPARATUS FOR ASSEMBLING ARTICLES.

Application filed August 9, 1927. Serial No. 211,690.

This invention relates generally to methods of and apparatus for assembling articles, and more particularly to methods of and apparatus for assembling core elements for magnetic coils.

()bjects of the invention are the provision of a simple and effective method of assembling core members in predetermined relation and the provision of a simple, compact and efficient apparatus for practicing the improved method.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, in one apparatus embodying the invention and by means of which the method may be practiced, there are provided a plurality of magazines for retaining core members and groups of the core members are fed from the magazines into a plurality of adjacent chambers, the cross sections of which taken together are substantially of the same shape as a easing into which the articles are to be inserted. The groups of core members are simultaneously advanced from the chambers into an opening in a transfer member where the groups formed in the chambers merge into a single larger group. The core members are then transferred into a position in another plane in advance of a plunger, operable by a suitable mechanism, and at the same time pressure is applied to form the group of members into a compact group having the desired cross section. The members are then forced by theplunger out of the opening in the transfer member and are inserted into a casing which is held upon a support during the inserting operation.

The invention will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of one embodiment of the invention, by means of which the process forming a partof the invention may be practiced, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the embodiment of the invention. and in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of an article assembling apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4; is a sectional view thereof taken on line el-l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view thereof taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a transfer plunger forming a part thereof;

7 is a perspective view of a lamination forming one of the members to be assembled, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a finished article which may be produced by practicing the'improved method and by employing the apparatus constituting the invention.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an assembling apparatusby means of which flat, rectangular laminations of a magnetic material may be assembled within tubular members, made of a suitable insulating material,

such as paper, to form cores around which turns of wire may be placed to make magnetic coils. However, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated by the drawings, but the invention embraces any type of assembling apparatus included within the scope of the appended claims. 7

Referring to the drawings indetail, in which drawings like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10 designates a base upon which a table 11 provided with rollers 12-12 is movably mounted between guide members 13 and 14 rigidly secured upon the base 10. A lever 16 which is pivoted upon the base 10, is connected to the table 11 by means of a link 17 for the purpose of moving the table back and forth upon the base 10.

Rigidly secured upon the table 11 is a block 20 having a plurality of angularly disposed channels 21, 22 and 28 formed therein (Fig. 5), which channels communi cats with a plurality of irregularly shaped chambers 25, 26- and 27 extending substantially centrally through the block 20 and which are separated from each other by partitions 29 and 30 formed in the block 20. Magazines 32, 33 and 3st each containinga plurality of laminations 35-35 are inserted in and retained by the channels 21, 22 and 28, respectively, in the block 20 for feeding the laminations 35-35, which form core members for the assembled articles, into the chambers 25, 26 and 27 in the block 20.. The force of gravity suffices to feed the laminations in the magazines 33 and 3% into the theblock. 37.

chambers-26and 27, while the laminations in the magazine 32 are forced'into the chamber 25 by means of a block 37 slidably mounted in the magazine 32 and which is urged toward the block by the force of springs 38 438, one end of each of whichis secured to the table 11 andv the other ends of whichare attached to cords 39-39 which pass over pulleys 40 40 rotatably mounted in apertures 4141 in the table 11,- and which cords are secured to opposite ends of The chambers 25, 26 and 27 taken together have a peripheral outlinewhich is substantially the same as that of the-opening in the hereinafterdescribed casing into which-the laminations are to be inserted, so

that the laminations when fed into the respective chambers taken as a whole assume a predetermined pattern which will most nearly conform to the opening in the case ing. In the embodiment of the-invention illustrated by the accompanying drawings,v the peripheral outline of the chambers 18: substantially circular and the part tlons 29 i and 27 in the block 20, is provided for 'si- 'multaneously forcing a group of laminations 85 from each of the chambers 25, 26 and-27 into a comb ned transfer and compressing member 45.

The transfer and compressing member 45 comprises a plate 46 pivotally mounted up on the base 10 and upon which s rigidly mounted a block 47 having a U-shaped channel 48 formed therein. A block 50 having asemi-circular groove 51 formed upon the inner face'thereof is pivohlly mounted in the channel 48 in the block 47 by means of a pin 52 extending through the blocks 47 and 50 near one end thereof. The block 50 is provided near the endopposite the one :1.

which the pin 52 is inserted with a plate-54 andsprmgs areinse'rted between the plate 54 and the block 47 to rotate the block 5O about the pin 52 away from the block 47 and to enlarge that. end of an opening 56 formed. bythe cooperation of the curved faces of the channel 48 in the block 47 and the groove 5]. in the block 50 so that the opening 56 will morereadily receive; the

laminations forced; therein by the transfer plunger 42. V

The transferring andcompressing member 45 is also provided with a handle 58 by meansof which it may be rotated intothe position shown in fullhnes in Fig.1 and in dottedlines in Fig. 4 so that the opening 56 is directly opposite the chambers25,-26 and 27in the-block 20, or it may be rotatedinto the position shown-in full lines in Fig. 4 so that the opening 56 therein is directly opposite a plunger 60 (Figzl) which is slidably mounted in a suitable support 61. The plunger 60 may be forced into or withdrawn from theopening 56 in the transfer member 45 by means of a pinion 62 rotatably ,mou'nted in the support 61, which pinion cooperates with rack teeth 63 formed upon the lower side ofthe plunger 60 and which pinion may be rotated by means of a lever 65 which is rigidly secured to a shaft '66 'to' which the pinion .62 is also rigidly mounted. Extending upwardly from the base 10 directly in the path of the transfer member 45 is a stop 69 having a plurality of bolts and a pin 77 which is rigidly secured to a sleeve 78 encircling the tube 74 extends through the slots 7 5- 75 in the tube 74 and through the innerend ofthe rod 7 6 so that the sleeve 78 serves as a handle by means ofwhich the rod 7 6 may be moved within the tube 74. The outer end of the rod 76 :is of the samecontour as the inner surface of a casing 80 into-which the laminations 35-35 are to be inserted so that when the rod 7 6 is in its extended position, as shown in Fig. 1, a casing 80 may be inserted over the rod 76 as is shown inthat figure. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated by the drawings, the casing SOlFig. 8)'into which the laininations arc'inserted comprises a tubular member made of any suitable insulating material such as paper. 'll1 operation of the above described apparatus is as follows: The sections 44 44 of the transfer plunger 42 "are inserted in the chambers 25, 26 and27. the magazines 32, 33 and 34 are filled with laminations '-35, the filled magazines are inserted in the channels 2l, 22 and 23 in the block 20 in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and the block 37 is placed in the magazine 32 in operative position, as is shown in Fig. 4. The plunger 60 ismoved into the position shown in Fig. 1, the combinedtransfer and compressive member 45 is rotated into the position shown in full lines in F ig. l and l in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the rod 76 is moved into its extended position as shown in Fig.

are then removed from the chambers 25, 26

and 27 when a group of laminations will be fed by the block 37 or by gravity into each of the chambers 25, 26 and 2'7, in the positions shown in Fig. 5, The sections 4:+l4;l of the transfer plunger 42 are then.

reinserted in the chambers 25, 26 and 27, thereby forcing the groups of laminations out of the chambers into the opening 56 in the transfer member 45, the receiving end of which opening 56 is kept enlarged by the springs -55 to facilitate the reception of the laminations. The transfer member carrying the laminations in the opening 56 therein is rotated from the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l to the position shown in full lines in that figure, in which position the block 50 comes into contact with the bolts 7O in the stop member 69 and is rotated about the pin 52 to compress the laminations in the opening 56 and form them into a compact group having the con tour of the opening in the casing 80. lhe lever 65 is then operated to advance the plunger 60 through the opening 56 in the -transfer member 45, thereby forcing the compressed group of laminations out of the opening 56 into the casing 86 supported upon the rod 76. The rod 76 is forced to the left as seen in Fig. 1, and out of the casing 80 by the incoming group of laminations until thepin 77 strikes the lefthand end of the slots -75 in the tube 74, as seen in Fig. 2, when the laminations will be properly disposed within the casing 80.

The plunger 60 is then'retracted toward the right as seen in Fig. 1 when the filled casing 80 will fall for lack of support upon the base 10. The rod 7 6 is again advanced to the position shown in Fig. 1, another casing 80 is inserted thereon and the above steps repeated. Should the laminations tend to jam while being transferred from the chambers 25, 26 and 27 into the opening 56 in the transfer member 45, the table 11 may be rolled upon the rollers 12 by means of the lever 16 to the right hand side of the apparatus as seen in Fig. 1 to withdraw the laminations from the transfer member 45 and the difficulty remedied.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of assembling articles, which consists in grouping a plurality of elongated core members in a predetermined relationship, compressing the group of core mem bers, and transferring the group of core inembersinto a casing.

2. A method of assembling articles, which consists in grouping a plurality of elongated core members in a predetermined re .lationship, forming the group into one having a circular cross section, and transferring the group into an. elongated circular casing.

23. A method of assembling articles, which consists in grouping a, plurality of elongated, rectangular core members in a predetermined relationship in one plane,

advancing the group of core members into another plane, compressing the group of core members, and transferring the group of core members into an elongated casing,

4. A method of assembling articles, which consists in feeding a plurality of core members from each of a plurality of supplies into a common point to form a predetermined pattern, and transferring the resulting group of core members into a casing. 5. A method of assembling articles, which consists in feeding a plurality of core members from each of a plurality of supplies into adjacent areas to form a predetermined pattern, advancing the core members from the adjacent areas into a group, and transferring the resulting group into a casing.

6. A methodof assembling articles, which consists in feeding a plurality of core members from each of a plurality of supp-lies into adjacent areas to form a predetermined pattern, simultaneously advancing the core members from each of the adjacent areas into another position to form a group thereof, compressing the group of core members,

and transferring the group of core members into a casing.

7. A method of assembling articles, which consists in feeding a plurality of eoremembers from each of a plurality of supplies into adjacent areas substantially in the same plane to form a predetermined pattern, simultaneously advancing the core members from each of the adjacent areas intoanother position in the same plane to form a group thereof, conveying the group of core members into another plane, applying pressure to the group of core members to form them into a group of circular cross section, and transferring the group into a circular casing.

8. 'A method of assembling cores for magnetic coils, which. consists in arranging a plurality of laminations in a predetermined pattern, forming the resulting group into one having a circular cross section, and transferring the group of laminations into a circular tube.

9. A method of assembling cores for mag netic coils, which consists in feeding a plurality of rectangular laminations from eachof a plurality of supplies into a common point to form a predetermined pattern, compressing the resulting group into one having a circular cross section, and transferring the compressed group of laminations into a circular insulating tube.

10. An apparatus for assembling articles, which comprises means for feeding a. group of articles from each of a plurality of di ,r'ections towarda common point, ineansfor forming the groups into a single, compact group, and means for :inserting the last mentionedgroup Within a casing. V I I i '11. An apparatusfor assembling articles, which comprises means for retaining a plurality of stacks of core members, a plurality of adjacent chambers for receiving groups ofthe core members fromthe retain ing meansy means for forming the groups of core members in the chambers into a single group, and means for inserting the thus formed group into a casing.

12. An 'apparatusfor assembling articles, which comprises means for retaining a plurality of stacks-f core members, a,

plurality of adjacent chambers for receiving groups of the core members from the retainand means r-for transferring the group from ing means',means for forming the groups of coremembers into a single group, means for compressing the thus formed group into a compact group of a desired cross section,

the last mentioned means-intoa casing.

' 13. An-apparatus for assembling articles, which comprises -means for retaining a plurality of stacks of core members, a

plurality of adjacent chambers for receiving groupsof thehcore members from the re taining means, a transfer member adjacent the chambers, means for advancing the groups of core members into the transfer member, and 1 means for transferring the 'core. members from the transfer member in a single group into a casing. A 14. An apparatus for assembling. articles, which comprises ayplurahty of-nnagazines for retaining core members,a plurality of chambers eaoh communicating with one of the magazines for'receiving groups of the articles from the magazines, a transfer member adjacentthe'chambers having an opening therein, means for simultaneously advancing the groups of core members from the chambers into the opening in the transfer member, means for'reducing the size of the opening in tlietransfer member to com- ,press the core members into a compact" group having a desired cross section, and means for-transferring thecompact group of core members from the opening in the transfer member into a casing;

15. An apparatus for assembling articles, Whichcomprisesa base, means for feeding a group of core members from each of a plurality of directions toward a common point,

a stop member extending from the base, a combined transfer and compressing member pivotally mounted on the base to swing from a position in contact With the stop member to a position adjacent the point toward which the core-members are fed, means for advancing the groups of core members into the transfer and compressing memberwhen the latter is positioned adjacent thereto, the

casing.

transfer and compressing member coacting WVltll the stop member when in contact therewith to compress the core members into compact group, and means for transferring the compacted group of core members into a 16. An app aratusfor assen'ibling articles,

which, comprises a plurality of adjacent chambers Whose combined cross section is' substantially circular, means for feeding groups of core members into the chambers to form alpredetermined pattern thereof, a transfer plunger havingone end divided into a pluralityof sections each of which sections is compa iion to one of the chambers where by hen the plunger sections are inserted in the chambers the groups of core members are advancedfrom the chambers, means for reveiving theqgroups of core members from thechambers and for forming the groupsinto a single compact group, and means for transferring the group from the last mentioned means into acasing. 1 v

17. An apparatus for assembling cores for magnetic coils, which comprises means for feeding a group of laminations of a magnetic material from each of'a plurality of directionsYtoward a common point, means for forming the groups of laminations into a smgle compact group, means for supporting an insulating tube, and means for inserting the last mentioned group of laminations into thetube. V 18. An apparatus for assembling cores for magnetic coils, Which comprises means for grouping a plurality of laminations of a magnetic material intoa predetermined re lationship, means for compressing the group of laminations into acompact group having a desired cross sect on, and means for m-1 7 means for inserting groups of members into the chamber when the chamber: is [in one position to form a predetermined pattern therein, and means for transferring the members in the chamber directly therefrom into a casin when the chamber is in another position. j i

21. An apparatus for assembling articles, which comprises a chamber, meansfor moving the chamber into a plurality of positions, means for inserting groups of mem-' bers into the chamber when the chamber is in one position to form a predetermmedpattern' -rtherem, means for compressing the members within the chamber, and means for transferring the members in the chamber directly therefrom into a casing when the chamber is in another position.

22. An apparatus for assembling articles, Which comprises a chamber, means for inserting groups of core members into the chamber to form a predetermined pattern therein, means for supporting a casing in alignment with the chamber, and a. plunger for advancing core members from the chamber into a casing supported by the casing supporting means.

22-3. A method of assembling articles, which consists in feeding a plurality of core mem bers from each of a plurality of supplies into a common point to form a predetermined pattern, compressing the resulting group o core members into a compact group, and transferring the compressed group of compressed members into a casin 24. A method of assembling articles, which consists in grouping a plurality of prearranged groups of core members into a single group or a predetermined pattern, forming the resulting group into a compact one having a circular cross section, and transferring the compacted group into a circular casing.

25. A method of assembling cores for magnetic coils, Which consists in arranging a plurality of prearranged groups of rectangular laminations of a magnetic material in a predetermined pattern, forming the resulting group into one having a circular cross section, and transferring the thus formed group of laminations into a circular insulatlng casing.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe any name this 29th day of July A. 1)., 1927.

HARRY CARPENTER STEARNS. 

